Apparatus for storage of objects such as tape cassettes enabling easy removal thereof

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a storage apparatus adapted for easy mounting in a position for use such as under the dashboard of an automobile. The storage apparatus includes a support or housing member adapted for mounting as above indicated and disposed therewithin is an object-containing member in the form of an open top box which is slidable from a closed position in the housing (for temporary storage) to an open and secured position with the open side of the box exposed so the contents retained therein may be readily removed therefrom. The contents in the box are stored in enclosures which are slidably mounted within the box and may be individually partially removed therefrom.

United States Patent lnventor Laurence E. Reese 4926 W. 134th St.,Hawthorne, Calif. 90250 Appl, No. 865,121

Filed Oct. 9, 1969 Patented Dec. 14, 1971 APPARATUS FOR STORAGE OFOBJECTS SUCH AS TAPE CASSETTES ENABLING EASY REMOVAL THEREOF 1 Claim, 5Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 312/246, 206/45.l5, 206/195 F Int. Cl A471) 67/02, A47f5/08, 865d5/50 Field ofSeareh 312/13, 14, 21, 25, 26, 30,133,136, 245-248, 308,313, 322, 323, 333

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1886 Reade 312/308 PrimaryExaminer- Paul R. Gilliam Att0rneyNilsson, Robbins, Wills and BerlinerABSTRACT: Disclosed is a storage apparatus adapted for easy mounting ina position for use such as under the dashboard of an automobile. Thestorage apparatus includes a support or housing member adapted formounting as above indicated and disposed therewithin is anobject-containing member in the form of an open top box which isslidable from a closed position in the housing (for temporary storage)to an open and secured position with the open side of the box exposed sothe contents retained therein may be readily removed therefrom. Thecontents in the box are stored in enclosures which are slidably mountedwithin the box and may be individually partially removed therefrom.

PATENTED nicmmn $627,398

SHEET 1 BF 2 INVENTOR.

LAURENCE E. REESE Wi /41014 5 fiffi/M 0116/04/11 PATENTED um: I 4 IanSHEET 2 [IF 2 INVENTOR.

LAURENCE E. REESE APPARATUS FOR STORAGE OF OBJECTS SUCH AS TAPECASSE'I'IES ENABLING EASY REMOVAL THEREOF FIELD OF THE INVENTION Thefield of this invention relates to the art of temporary storage ofobjects requiring frequent and easy access.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the prior art relating to the storage ofsmall devices such as magnetic tape recorded cassettes, or the like,particularly in moving vehicles such as an automobile, it has been thepractice to place such articles in loose boxes or the like. However,users typically either leave such cassettes lying about in the seat ofthe automobile or alternatively place them loose in the glovecompartment of the automobile. In any of these events, the cassettesbecome hopelessly intermixed so that the user cannot readily identifyone cassette from the remaining ones thus necessitating great rummagingthrough all the cassettes to find the desired one containing thatrecording wanted for playback purposes. Furthennore, once the desiredcassette has been found normally it requires both hands to open the boxin which the cassette has been stored so that it may be placed intoposition in the recording apparatus for playback. Obviously, if such isdone it must necessitate stopping of the vehicle so that both hands maybe utilized to accomplish the desired purpose.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a storage apparatuswhich includes a support member and an object-containing member. Theobject-containing member and support member are cooperativelyinterconnected in such a way that relative movement therebetween isobtained so that the object containing member may be moved from a closedto an open position and can be secured in a stable open positionrendering the contents thereof accessible.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1, is a side elevation, partiallybroken away, of the storage apparatus in closed position;

FIG. 2, is a perspective view of the storage apparatus of the presentinvention in an open but unsecured position;

FIG. 2a is a fragmentary view illustrating an alternative structure of aportion of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates the storage apparatus of the present invention in anopen and secured position with the contents thereof exposed; and

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the storage apparatus of the presentinvention in an open and secured position with a portion of the contentsbeing removed therefrom.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawingsand more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is generally illustrated astorage apparatus in accordance with the present invention. As is shown,a housing or support means illustrated generally at 11 is affixed to amounting means or bracket 12 which in turn is affixed to the undersideof a dashboard of an automobile, or the like, shown schematically at 13.The manner in which the mounting means 12 is interconnected to thehousing 11 and the dashboard 13 may be any means desired such as screws,bolts, nuts, an adhesive or the like, as is well known to the prior art.It should also be noted that the housing 11 is mounted in such mannerthat the rear portion thereof is lower than the front portion to assistin retaining the apparatus in a closed position. Such may also beaccomplished by proper alignment of track means as described more fullybelow. The housing 11 includes a pair of spaced apart opposed sidewallmembers 14 and 15. Elongated aligned openings 16 and 17 are provided inthe sidewall members 14 and respectively,

and function as track-defining means as will be more fully describedherein below. As is further illustrated, the housing 11 includes a rearwall member 18 and a top wall member 19. The top wall member 19 isutilized in affixing the housing member 11 to the mounting member 12.From the foregoing general description of the housing member 11, it canbe seen that it basically appears as a box having the front and bottomthereof open.

An object-containing member shown generally at 21 is slidably disposedfor positioning between a closed and open position within the housing11. The object-containing member 21 is adapted to receive variousobjects to be stored temporarily therein such as the tape cassettesreferred to above. As is illustrated, the objectcontaining member 21generally appears as an open topped box structure. The object-containingmember 21 includes spaced apart opposed sidewalls 22 and 23 with an endwall 24 positioned at the rear of the box, a bottom wall 25 and a frontwall 26. As illustrated, the sidewalls 22 and 23 are spaced apart by adistance slightly less than the sidewalls 14 and 15 of the housing 11 soas to permit the object containing member 21 to slide into the housing11. Positioned within the open top box, or object-containing member 21,are a plurality of enclosure members 27 within which the objects to bestored, such as the tape cassettes, may be positioned. A track-engagingmeans such as a pin 28, extends from the sidewalls 22 and 23 of theobject-containing member 21 into the elongated openings 16 and 17 of thesidewalls l4 and 15.

As is illustrated, the track-defining means such as the elongatedopenings 16 and 17 can define a first portion 29 which is adapted topermit the pin 28 to slide substantially horizontally as shown in thedrawings, so as to position the object-containing member 21 from aclosed position as shown in FIG. 1, to an open position as shown in FIG.2, or, obviously, the relative positions can be reversed going from theopen to the closed position. The elongated openings 16 and 17 alsoinclude a second portion 31 in which the pin 28 also slides so as tomove the object-containing member 21 from the open position as shown inFIG. 2, to a secured position as shown in FIG. 3. The object-containingmember is removably secured in place in the second portion 31 by causingthe pin 28 to pass into a securing means such as the inverted hookterminal portion 33 of the second portion 31 of the elongated openings16 and 17. It should be noted that the first and second portions 29 and31 of the elongated openings have a common point illustrated at 32.Positioned adjacent the common point 32 is a rod means 34 which isattached to the sidewalls l4 and 15 and may, for example, be either apair of inwardly directed stub shafts or alternatively a continuousshaft extended between the sidewalls 14 and 15 or a partial wallextending toward the rear. The rod means 34 functions to retain theobject-containing member 21 in position when it is closed as shown inFIG. 1, by supporting the weight thereof and also functions, as is shownin FIGS. 3 and 4, to prevent backward swinging motion of theobjectcontaining member 21 when it is in its secured position with thepin 28 resting in the inverted hook section 33 of the elongatedopenings.

Although the track-defining means has been shown as a slot and thetrack-engaging means a pin, it should be recognized that the track maytake any form, such as a rail means illustrated schematically at 20 inFIG. 2a as being attached to the sidewall 14a of the housing. The trackengaging means may then take the form of roller means 30, 30a straddlingthe rail 20. The roller means 30, 30a are affixed to the appropriateside wall of the member 21 which has been deleted from FIG. 2a forclarity of illustration. Obviously, one may utilize a single roller andtwo rails if desired.

In order to move the object-containing member 21 from the positionillustrated in FIG. 1 to that shown in FIG. 2, one merely grasps thehandle 42 affixed to (or a lower lip on) the front wall 26 of theobject-containing member 21 and pulls outwardly causing the pin 28 toslide in the portion 29 of the elongated openings 16 and 17 until thepin 28 approaches the common point 32. At this point in time theobject-containing member pivots upon the pin 28 into a position similarto that shown in FIG. 2. The user may then, in order to secure theobject-containing member 21 in place, merely push upwardly and forwardly(toward the user) upon the front wall 26 of the object-containing member21. As this occurs the pin 28 is caused to slide upwardly in the secondportion 31 of the openings 16 and 17. When the pin 28 reaches the toppart of the second portion 31, the end wall 24 of the object-containingmember 21 may be pushed rearwardly (away from the user) and then allowedto drop slightly so that the pin rests at the bottom of the hook portion33 as shown in FIG. 3. In this position the weight of theobject-containing member 21 and its contents rests against the rod means34. When in this position, a tab 43 affixed to the front portion of theenclosure members 27 may be grasped by the user and the enclosure member27 removed from the object-containing member 21 sufficiently so that thecontents of the enclosure member may be removed for use as desired.Obviously, the enclosure members may be slidably received incompartments and be adapted for complete removal if desired.

Preferably, as illustrated in the drawings, the sidewalls 22 and 23 ofthe object-containing member 21 along with each enclosure member 27define cooperating guide means providing relative movement between themembers 21 and 27. Such guide means may, for example, take the form ofpairs of aligned opposed slots 35 in the sidewalls 22 and 23 withoutwardly directed studs 37 afiixed to each of the enclosure members 27extending into the slots 35 and being slidable therein to guide andmaintain each of the enclosure members 27 in position with the objectcontaining member 21. Positioned adjacent one terminal portion of eachof the slot means is a pair of inwardly directed shaft means 36 adaptedto slidably engage the bottom portion of one of the enclosure members27. Obviously, shaft means 36 and studs 37 may be continuous members.

As illustrated more clearly in FIG. 4, a user may grasp one of the tabs43 and by pulling outwardly as illustrated by the arrow 38, may move thestuds 37 along the slots 35 while permitting the bottom portion 39 ofthe enclosure 27 to ride upon the shaft 36. When the enclosure 27 ispulled completely forwardly to its totally open position (that is as faras it can be moved in the direction of the arrow 38), it may then bepermitted to drop downwardly as illustrated by the enclosure member 27ain FIG. 4. In this position, it will be noted that the shaft 36 iseffectively supporting the weight of the enclosure member 27a. When inthis position as shown at 270, the lid 41 of the enclosure member may beopened up by utilizing only one hand of the user and the contents of theenclosure member 27a, for example,a recorded tape cassette, may then beallowed to slide downwardly and into the hand of the user. The user maythen close the lid 41 and return the enclosure member 27a to itsoriginal position as shown, for example, in FIG. 3 by merely reversingthe steps above referred to.

If desired, the user may then return the object-containing member 21 toits storage position as illustrated in FIG. 1. This is accomplished bylifting upwardly on the member 21 and pushing rearwardly on the handle43 to clear the hook portion 33 of the track means. The member 21 isthen allowed to drop into the position shown in FIG. 2 and thereafter byrotating the member 21 forwardly and then pushing it backwardly into thehousing 11 the apparatus 10 is again closed. All of the foregoingoperation, including removal of the cassette, may be accomplished byusing only one hand thus enabling the user to select a cassette andposition it for playback while maintaining complete control of a movingvehicle.

1 claim:

l. A storage apparatus for removably containing a plurality of objectscomprising:

a housing means including a boxlike structure for mounting in ahorizontal position and having a first pair of opposed sidewalls;container means disposed within said housing and including: an open topboxlike structure having a second pair of spaced apart opposedsidewalls, a plurality of enclosure members each of which isindividually slidably positioned between said second pair of sidewalls,a plurality of pairs of aligned slots, one pair for each said enclosuremember;

stud means extending from each said enclosure member into each saidslot; and

shaft means extending inwardly from said second pair of sidewallsadjacent one terminus of each said slot to slidably engage and retaineach said enclosure member in first and second limit positions, wherebyeach said enclosure member may be partially removed from said con tainermeans for removal of the contents of said enclosure member;

track means including:

1. track defining means disposed on one of said housing and containermeans, and having an inverted hook portion tenninal end thereof, and

2. track engaging means disposed on the other of said housing andcontainer means in engagement with said trackdefining means; and

said housing and container means being relatively movable along saidtrack means from a first closed horizontal position to a second openvertical position wherein said track-engaging means rests in saidinverted hook portion.

t i I! i i

1. A storage apparatus for removably containing a plurality of objectscomprising: a housing means including a boxlike structure for mountingin a horizontal position and having a first pair of opposed sidewalls;container means disposed within said housing and including: an open topboxlike structure having a second pair of spaced apart opposedsidewalls, a plurality of enclosure members each of which isindividually slidably positioned between said second pair of sidewalls,a plurality of pairs of aligned slots, one pair for each said enclosuremember; stud means extending from each said enclosure member into eachsaid slot; and shaft means extending inwardly from said second pair ofsidewalls adjacent one terminus of each said slot to slidably engage andretain each said enclosure member in first and second limit positions,whereby each said enclosure member may be partially removed from saidcontainer means for removal of the contents of said enclosure member;track means including:
 1. track defining means disposed on one of saidhousing and container means, and having an inverted hook portionterminal end thereof, and
 2. track engaging means disposed on the otherof said housing and container means in engagement with saidtrack-defining means; and said housing and container means beingrelatively movable along said track means from a first closed horizontalposition to a second open vertical position wherein said track-engagingmeans rests in said inverted hook portion.
 2. track engaging meansdisposed on the other of said housing and container means in engagementwith said track-defining means; and said housing and container meansbeing relatively movable along said track means from a first closedhorizontal position to a second open vertical position wherein saidtrack-engaging means rests in said inverted hook portion.